Pneumatic safety-gate.



N0. 657,066. Patented Allg. 28, |900. W. F. HORN.

PNEUMATIC SAFETY GATE.

(Application filed Nov. 11, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet I.

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AWOHNEYS No. 657,066. Patented Aug. 26, 1960'.

w. F. HORN.

PNEUMATIC SAFETY GATE.

(Application med Nov. 11, 1699.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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:E www i.' form By WM ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PA'IENT (Dorion.

WILBUR F. HORN, OF CARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

PNEUMATIC SAFETY-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters ratent No. 667,066, datednugust2s, ieoo.

Application filed November 11, 1899. Serial No. 736,682. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it indy concern:

Be it known that I, WILBUR F. HORN, of Carlisle, in the county ofCumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Pneumatic Safety- Gates, of which the following is aspeciiication.

My invention relates to safety-gates for railroad-crossings, and has forits object certain improvements in this class of railroad safetyappliances whereby the gate or gates may be operated by the direct powerof currents of air, gases, or vapors issuing from or entering the gateson opposite sides of their axes, such currents being produced bypressure appliances automatically actuated at a distance by the railwayrolling-stock.

vVith this end in view myinvention consists in certain details ofconstruction and combination and arrangement of the parts, which I shallhereinafter describe and then particularly point out in the appendedclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which like characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views in which they occur.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved automatic pneumaticsafety-gate in practical application. Fig. 2 is a vertical transversesection of the lower portion of the gate and its supporting-standard.Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation, partly broken away, of a gate,illustrating slight modifications. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinalsection of one form of automatic pneumatic pressure appliances. Fig. 5is a transverse section thereof on the line 5 5 of Fig. Li. Fig. 6 is alongitudinal section, with parts in elevation, of a modified form ofpressure appliance. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of afurther-modified form. Fig. 8 is a plan view of a railway road-bed, towhich is applied pressure appliances which are actuated in adifferentmanner from those forms above mentioned. Fig. 9 is a detail perspectiveview of the pressure-bar employed in the construction illustrated inFig. 8, and Fig. 10 is a detail cross-section on the line 10 10 of Fig.S. l

On the standard 1l, which is locatedin suitable proximity to arailroad-crossing, as seen in Fig. l, is pivotally mounted myimprovedgate 12, which is in the form of a beam made hollow in any preferredmanner. The trunnion 13, on which said beam is mounted, is also hollow,as shown in Fig. 2, and is formed with ports 14, located within thebeam, and is connected with an air-pipe 15 in the standard 1I, as shown.Each arm of the beam is provided with air-discharge orifices 16 onopposite sides, and it is therefore evident that when currents of airare impelled through the pipe 15, the hollow trunnion 13, and dischargedthrough the orifices 16 the beam will be swung in its vertical planeinto closed or downward position, coming to rest when the pivoted arm 17comes in contact with the ground, and the beam is so counterpoised thatit will remain in such position so long as airis being dischargedthrough the orifices, but will` revert to its normal vertical positionwhen currents of air cease. As shown in Fig. 3, the beam 12a may beclosed by the suction or ingress of air when the orifices 16a arearranged in reverse order on the opposite sides of the beam.

In order to automatically produce the currents necessary to theoperation of the gatebeam, I employ, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 4, and5, at a predetermined distance from the crossing a pneumatic pressureappliance consisting of air-pumps 18, of any preferred construction,connected by pipes 19 and storage-chambers 19a to the pipe 15 in thestandard 11 and having their piston-rods 2O at their outer ends workingthrough the ends of a casing or box 21 and attached to springs 22,located in said casin g. These springs may include any suitable numberand, as shown, are of elliptical form and connected together at the endsof their longer axes. To cause the springs to yield equally in oppositedirections, the middle springs are tixedly held in the casing by a bolt22, moving in a ver-` cal slot. Working vertically in the casing 21,with its lower iiat edge resting on the springs 22, is a pressure-bar23, guided by vertical slots and inserted pins, as shown at 24, Fig. 5,and formed with a scalloped or corrugated upper edge 25, which liesclose to the outside of the adjacent rail. Each core rugation, as shownin Fig. 4, normally pro- IOO jects above the surface of the rail, sothat the tread of a locomotive or car wheel passing over thepressure-bar will alternately press down and release the bar severaltimes in its passage over the salne, thereby alternately compressing andreleasing the springs and causing several successive currents of air tobe created and the gate-beam to be depressed. It should be especiallynoted that the length of the pressure-bar may be greatly increasedaccording to my construction and the number of corrugationsproportionately increased, causing a great number of successiveair-currents, and thus insuring the prompt and eil-'ective action of thegate. While I have described the air-currents as successive for thepurpose of bringing out clearly the advantage of my pressure-rod, theyare practically merged into one continuous current, on account of theprobable speed of the train.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, the piston-rods 2Oa are inserted through thebottom of the casing 21L and are directly attached to the lower face ofthe corrugated pressure-bar 23u. In this instance the pumps I8 arelocated belowT the ties, and springs 22h, coiled around thepiston-rods,eftect the rise or" the pressu re-bar.

Another slightly-modified form is shownin Fig. 7, in which the casing2lb is fitted over the ends of the cross-ties, and the pressurebar 23bis provided with plate 26,be'aring upon the springs and secured to thebar by rods 27.

A further modification is illustrated in Figs. 8, 9, and l0, in whichthe pressure-bar 23c is of inverted-L shape in cross-section and isprovidedy on its horizontal member with a corrugated surface, which isin a plane parallel with the diameter ofa car-wheel, and is engaged andalternately forced away7 from the side of the rail and released by theflange 2S of the wheel,.as is plainly indicated in the drawings. Indotted lines in Fig. 8 are shown possible positions of the air-pumpswhen a pressure-bar of this form is used.

I do not wish to confine myself to the exact location or number of theair-orifices in the gate-beam herein described and shown, for in thisand other respects the det-ails of the invention may be changed withinthe scope of the appended claims.

It is evident that the air passing through the openings 16 or lGfl willproduce a whistling sound, thereby giving alarm of the approach of atrain and, if desired, whistles of anylconstruction may be inserted inthe said openings for this purpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a pneumatic safety-gate, a hollow swinging beam formed with alateral opening communicating with the atmosphere and adapted to permitof the passage of currents of air, and a pneumatic appliance arranged toforce 'lair through said opening, as set forth.

2. In a pneumatic safety gate substantially as described,a hollowgate-beam formed with a lateral opening in each side on opposite sidesof its axis, and a pneumatic appliance having a continuous and uninter-vrupted connection with the beam, whereby it is adapted to force airthrough said openings, as set forth.

3. In a pneumatic safety-gate, a standard, a hollow trunnion in saidstandard arranged for connection with a pneumatic pressure appliance andformed with ports, and a hollow beam mounted on said trunnion and formedwith openings in its sides to permit the passage of currents of air asset forth.

4. In a pneumatic railwaygate, a gatebeam, air-pumps operativelyconnected with said gate-beam, springs tending to move the pump-pistonsin one direction',and apressurebar connected with said pistons to movethem in the opposite direction, said pressure-bar being arrangedalongside the railroad-rail and formed with a plurality of corrugationsadapted for engagement by acar-wheel, as and for the purpose set fo`rth.

5. In a railway safetygate, the combination with the gate-beam, ot' apneumatic pres;- sure appliance consisting of an air-pump, a casinglocated alongside the railroad-rail, springs in said casing connectedwith the piston ot' said pump, and a pressure-bar tted to movevertically in said casing and arranged to compress said springs, saidbar being formed on its upper surface with a plurality of corrugationseach of which normally projects above the rail and which are adapted tobe engaged in succession by a car-wheel, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

/VILBUR F. HORN.

Witnesses:

W. H. CRIDER, JNO. B. LANDis.

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